THOUSANDS of responses to the gypsy and traveller consultation have still not been considered as the district council has failed to agree an extended deadline with the government.

The district council was given a deadline for this month to respond to the consultation, based on the 10,000 responses which have been handed in by members of the public.

But not enough staff were employed to take on the task, and documents which people have spent time and money on could be thrown in the bin.

Throughout the last few months the council has held various meetings with the Government Officer for the Eastern Region (Go East), which is dealing with the consultation, but has still failed to agree a new timetable.

In May the council admitted they would not make the original target of July, and since then the decision to extend the deadline has been delayed each week.

Mike Smith from Marle Gardens, Waltham Abbey spent time and money formulating a response with members of the Waltham Abbey Residents Association.

He said: "It's disgraceful quite honestly. I wonder sometimes what they council think they are doing. We are paying an awful lot of money to these people and I think the bottom line is they can't deliver.

"All the work we have put in could be totally ignored. We spent literally thousands of pounds and that could all be for nothing as council officers are a complete waste of time.

"They had as much notice as us and should have prepared for this."

A council spokeswoman said they have been asked to provide and agree a revised timetable and had arranged a meeting with Go East.

But the same response has been given for months.

On May 12 a spokeswoman confirmed the council would not meet the July deadline and Go East had asked them to come up with a new timetable.

Later in May a spokeswoman said they would be meeting with Go East to find out if an extension could be given to the deadline.

She added: "They are considering and will come back to us - possibly next week."

On June 15 a spokeswoman said: "Go East has asked us to provide a replacement timetable by the end of this week. This will be considered at CEF on Wednesday."

But three weeks later still nothing had been agreed.

A spokeswoman from the Theydon Bois Action Group said: "Residents expressed to Theydon Bois Action Group that the consultation questionnaire was too complex and with delays in the printing and distribution of the document they needed more time to complete it. EFDC has failed to comply with the government's timetable. It is a shame that residents were not afforded the same opportunity."